EVENT SUSTAINABILITY

Vivian created an event sustainability consulting company that provides both paid consulting and free resources to local large event organizers and venues, while also working with local municipalities to encourage large events to create sustainability plans.

Vivian Belzaguy is the founder of the Idea Garden, a boutique design and marketing company, and served as the Senior Manager of Sustainability for the 2019 Ultra Music Festival. Vivian became increasingly aware of the many opportunities that large events have to create positive change for the world through her 14-year career in the marketing and operation of large-scale concerts and music festivals. Her hope is that sustainability programs at events inspire personal responsibility that lasts long after the events have ended and contribute towards a sustainable future.

DADE COUNTY STREET RESPONSE DISASTER RELIEF

Lena and Armen grew the Dade County Street Response Disaster Relief Team, a community-centered organization that seeks to connect South Florida residents to medical care and supplies, psychological services, and information regarding vital community resources in the wake of a disaster. Together, they hope to make the response team a more effective tool for disaster relief efforts in South Florida and a model for climate change strategy/advocacy among vulnerable communities nation wide.

Armen Henderson is the Founder of the Dade County Street Response, an organization which seeks to train community members how to respond during times of disaster (natural/human). He is also an internal medicine faculty member at the University of Miami and a community organizer with Dream Defenders, leading medical professionals outside of the hospital doors and into the community. In his free time, he enjoys woodworking, traveling with his family, and competitive sports. 

Lena Carleton is a 4th Year Medical Student at Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. She aspires to create change at the intersection of community health, social justice, and climate change. In her free time, Lena enjoys running and participating in book clubs.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND EDUCATION PROGRAM

Nicole C. and Nicole M-B. increased the number of environmental advocates/leaders in Liberty City by launching a 10-week, walking environmental justice and education program that helps to educate and empower Black women to lead the charge to ensure a culture of personal and environmental health, wellness, and resilience within the community.

Nicole Crooks is a community advocate who is passionate about bridging the gaps of education, health and well-being in marginalized communities of color, with a special focus on Black women and their families. She believes that educating and helping to empower a woman liberates an entire community. Nicole is the mom of 3 of the "most amazing children in the world" and self proclaimed book and beach addict. On any given morning, you may find her relaxing on the beach, meditating, and watching the sunrise while reading a book.

Nicole Martin-Bynum is a results-driven social justice advocate with experience in developing and managing innovative programs, strengthening systems of care to support marginalized populations, and surfacing/challenging institutional racism in agencies committed to increasing the wellbeing of vulnerable populations. These experiences range from the maternal child health field through supporting previously incarcerated adult learners. In her free time, Nicole is a mentor to teenage girls in her community and serves on community boards in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County. Her greatest joy in life is being Brooklyn’s mother, a 4-year old precocious black boy.

CITIZEN SCIENCE INITIATIVE

TJ launched a citizen science research and education initiative to engage the community in a dynamic WaterScape park she is constructing in partnership with The Nature Conservancy along Wagner Creek in downtown. This citizen science initiative will educate local communities on the potential of landscape to hold and clean water and restore biodiverse habitats.

TJ Marston is an Instructor in Landscape Architecture + Environmental and Urban Design at Florida International University and founder of Plot Studio, a landscape design and research firm which aims to use adaptive design as a catalyst to solve ecological, social, and cultural challenges within local communities. In her free time, TJ enjoys swimming, yoga, and watercolor painting, and she loves to spend her weekends outside in nature with her family.

CLIMATE 101 FOR MEDIA

Kate worked with Caroline Lewis of the CLEO Institute to develop a Climate 101 course specifically designed for Journalists and Media Professionals, particularly those who report on topics other than the environment.

As a reporter at WLRN, Kate Stein was an inaugural member of The Invading Sea media collaboration. Now as a freelance journalist, she works to educate and engage South Floridians on climate change, risk and resilience. Kate is a Wisconsin native and aspiring triathlete.

BIOSWALE INSTALLATION

Sam and his team at Urban Paradise Guild will install bioswales as replicable models to reduce flooding, recharge aquifers, and serve as habitats and pollination corridors.

Sam Van Leer is an eco-humanitarian inventor on a mission to protect Miami and the world from climate change. The son of a climate scientist and an artist, his approach integrates science, communication, and aesthetics to innovate solutions for our era. His inventions include the beach trash can used on Miami Beach, a solar-electric boat, data architecture used on 6 continents, and the Virginia Key Charrette. He founded Urban Paradise Guild (UPG) in 2008 to fight the causes and effects of climate change through projects and innovations that make Miami a better place for people and wildlife.